Legislation Gone Wild: Trans Fats Edition
--posted by Pete Arnold on 12/05/2006
Usually, once every day, something happens to me that I can't believe... I get out of another speeding ticket, I put down the Xbox 360 controler to actually go to work, or make it to Lifetime Fitness to work out instead of driving to McDonalds by mistake, but today, it would fit in the "Stupid Stuff Someone In Government Does" category. A category once reserved for anything John Kerry says, or the idea that Heroin should be made legal.
New York City has passed legislation that by July 2008, will
- Cheesecake (yes, famous New York cheesecake)
- Pizza
- Cookies
- doughnuts
- butter (even the "extra light spreads")
FrenchFreedom Fries- Ranch, French Salad dressing
- Beef (any kind, because the flavor comes from fat!)
- Sausage
- Any buttered Microwave popcorn
- Milk Freaking Chocolate
- Eggs
Nope. Think about it. The food sells because people like it. If you change (in most cases) one ingredient, you have to alter the entire recipe to account for the change of taste. Then, you have to alter how it is cooked, and change how that food is supplied to the restraints (as if one city bans something, doesn't mean everyone else is going to be so stupid) so the rest of the nation can go on eating what we want.
And lets not forget the advertising. Much like the automobile manufactures in the 80s did when many of them went to Front Wheel Drive, These food/restaurant companies are going to have to spend
And do you think it will be free for the companies to do all this? No. And who do you think Outback Steakhouse or McDonalds will pass the
Ever see the movie Demolition Man? Selvester Stalone plays John Sparten, to make a long story short, he is frozen for a while then thawed to fix what the current "administration" can't handle... a big bad ciminal. when he awakes, this conversation takes place:
John Spartan: You, get me a Marlboro.As John later figures out, salt is illegal also. New York has taken the second step in becomming a nanny state (the first was outlawing smoking in resteraunts). Sooner or later, it is only logical to outlaw Salt, because salt too, can kill... But then again, so can Water if you have too much of it. What are you going to do about Dihydrogen Monoxide, New york?
Alfredo Garcia: Yes, of course....What's a Marlboro?
John Spartan: It's a cigarette. Any cigarette.
Lt. Lenina Huxley: Smoking is not good for you.Anything not good for you is bad... Hence, illegal. Alcohol, caffeine,contact sports, meat--
John Spartan: You have got to be sh**'in me!
So, what, there is no way companies will get rid of Trans Fats unless the Government (with a capital G) steps in and makes them?The government (small g) is not needed. Wendy's introduced Zero-Trans fat oil in August, and others are working on it, including YUM Brand Inc.'s Taco Bell & KFC. Taco Bell has worked for over two years to find a way to do it, while using blind consumer taste tests and a huge amount of research.
“We conducted a tremendous amount of consumer research to make this the right choice for our customers,” said Emil J. Brolick, Taco Bell’s president.Companies will do this on their own, because the market will dictate it. People choose with their money. Its a wonderful system we have here (capatalism) and its a shame whenever Government (big G) has a chance to step in and foul it up.
12 Comments:
If people are too dmn stupid to realize that a greasy double quarter pounder with 'cheese' from McFatAss isn't doing damage to their health, then maybe these fatty welfare moms and dads should be forced to eat healtheir because in the end it's hardworking taxpayers who pay for the public health care for these individuals while my unaffordable healthcare is deducted from my paycheck
Where does a city get the authority to enact such regulations? Does authority over restaurant sanitation extend to legislating menus?
RVM4. Beef (as well as dairy) contain Trans Fats. I would encourage you to look that one up, as Trans Fats do occur naturally in food, but is removed from many foods.
To quote School Food Trust:
Some Trans fatty acids occur naturally in the digestive system of ruminant animals such as cows, sheep and goats. Some trans fatty acids are therefore present in meat, milk and other dairy produce. These are mostly C18 monounsaturated Trans fatty acids, principally (almost half) vaccenic acid.
According to the The US Department of Agriculture, these trans fats make up 15 to 20 percent of the total trans fat intake in our diet. Others believe that these natural Trans fats occur at much lower levels.
To Quote Amy's Kitchen:
Most trans fats in the American diet are formed when vegetable oils are chemically changed to give them a longer shelf life, but trans fats do occur naturally in small amounts in some foods, including dairy products.
I could go on, but you get the point, Trans Fats DO occur Naturally in some foods.
Also, if you read this blog, then you know our dislike for Michele Bachman, so I’m not sure what that was all about…
As a Liberal, rmv4, Let me ask you your stance on Drug Legalization. What drugs should be made legal and illegal? I know Liberals love large government, but I would think Democrats would be the last to ban someone’s ability to consume whatever they want.
Look, Kids. My point here is that it is not the government’s place to control what we eat. Its not about (to use a Name-Calling quote of a previous author) people being “too damn stupid,” It’s about people having “freedom of choice” for what they want to eat. How is Choice a bad thing, Brian and rvm4?
And Skipper, I have no idea where a city gets the authority to pass such regulations. Something to point out, is we do not live in a Democracy; we live in a Representative Democracy… Sometimes, much like recent past presidents, we elect bad people who make bad choices. If the people of New York are not “too damn stupid,” they will fight this. Trust in Capitalism, guys. Not the Government (big G).
I eagerly await your replies.
The key here is partiallyy hydrogenated oils. They have nothing to do with taste. Think more along the lines of a preservative. Our food isn't going to taste worse because no one noticed when restaurants started using phos in the first place. These things are one molecule away from being plastic, so I'm gonna guess they aren't healthy. Also watch out for things that say no trans fat. That usually means just not enough to measure in a single serving. If "partially hydrogenated" is in the ingredients, it's got trans fats.
Kevin. I'm sorry, I don't mean to be a jerk (No really, If I meant to be a jerk, you'd know!), but I can't think of any other way to ask this question:
Do you think it’s possible to change either How a food is prepared (with trans fats) or what is in the food (trans fats) and not change its taste? If Taco Bell went through 2 years of research, experimentation and taste testing to remove Trans Fats... I don't know that I would write off Trans Fats as having no effect on taste, and come on... I love taco bell (alot), but Taco bell is basically one taco in 30 different wrappers.
And as far as Trans Fats only being one molecule away from begin plastic... Mice and Men share 99% of our genes, but that doesn't mean we are alike. Men and mice are far closer then Margarine (thats what is referenced here) and Plastic, but your not going to find me saying we should give the right to keep and bear arms to mice.
Great Post
Everyone has some excellent points.
I just want to say that I don't see the comparison with smoking Bans.
When someone lights up next to me that affects me. I should not have to be subjected to it.
When someone chows down on a pack of Oreos, that has no affect on me or my health.
I really should be typing this from an ergonomically designed chair because my posture on the couch is probably not good for my health. I hope that there isn't a law.
(USED TO POST AS RVM4): Sorry for the looooong delay. But I didn't want to just leave you hanging, thinking that I was a cut and run blog poster (had a computer incident followed by the struggle to re-install everything and lost a lot of stuff along the way. Makes one appreciate the Luddites).
My nutshell responses:
Trans Fats. Sure, they can be naturally occurring. But, to quote the same School Food Trust paragraph you referenced, “the naturally occurring trans fats have not, as they occur in animal fats, been shown to share the harmful properties of the synthetic trans fat…” and there is considerable debate as to the quantity of these naturally occurring fats.
Maybe I should have been more clear, and you should have done your homework. NYC has banned “artificial trans fats.” Your cheeseburgers are still safe unless they’re fried in Crisco.
Michele Bachman. Sorry, my bad. I just assumed that, being a Conservative from outside the TC Metro, you would have been on her bandwagon. I should have done my home work.
But, speaking of assumptions…
Liberal. I do have liberal leanings. I also have conservative leanings. This is not a flip-flop, it’s just a statement as to the complexity of humanity and the issues we face. Nobody is right all the time and the title of your blog is testament to that sentiment.
Government: There are times when only the government can act quickly enough (see natural disasters - other than Katrina, health epidemics, economic crashes). There are times when the consideration of the constituency is more important that corporate profit. And there is, of course, infrastructure, defense, scientific advancement (not the “studying cow farts” variety, though), trade, and so on.
While it is true that I want my government to watch out for my rights (and my neighbor’s, and yours) and I want my government to pass laws that protect my safety and my health, (and, yes, SOME of the natural beauty that otherwise would be turned into 2X4s) I mostly want government to stay out of the way.
Which brings me to your question on legalization of drugs. If it’s naturally occurring (marijuana, peyote) it should be legal to possess by anyone over 21 (like alcohol) and should be legal to consume wherever alcohol AND tobacco are both legal to consume (bus stop; no). If the drug is a processed natural substance (hashish, cocaine) it should be restricted to bars (parlors, if you prefer) and regulated as tightly as alcoholic spirits. If the drug is 100-percent man made (meth and the like) or has been shown to be a societal drain (heroin, crack - yes, there’s a difference from cocaine) it should only be available after FDA approval and under a doctor’s care, otherwise illegal to possess, process or use.
And the penalties for DUI, public intoxication and general stupidity should be made even stiffer to compensate for the probable rise in offenses. With freedom comes responsibility and, sadly, government is often required to enforce that responsibility. This might also go a long way toward having fewer jackasses on the roads.
Last, I believe you are dead wrong when you say it is not the government’s place to control what we eat (not that I’m saying they should dictate what we eat - I would be one miserable mo-fo on Liver and Onions Day). If a substance that is being put INTO our food (let’s call it Soilent Green) is found to be detrimental to our health (and health care system expenditures) it ought to be the province of government to step in and say “no.”
All said and done, I believe democracy works. And we get the government we deserve. We, as a nation, dabble in the left, we dabble in the right and as long as gridlock does its job--forcing debate and compromise--we move forward.
Rick:
Trans Fats.
Oh, but the fun of this is simply what If I wanted to use part of a hamburger to cook my cookies. The extract of hamburger, for example, which contained trans fats. I don't like the idea that the government can control what ingredients I use in my cookies. the line between natural and un-natural, in my opinion is crap anyway, because everything comes from a natural source. "Artificial" or not, my same contempt resides.
Michele Bachman.
no worries, thanks for the maturity btw.
Liberal:
"I do have liberal leanings." I do as well, I call them my "dark side" j/k
Complete and utter lack of hypocrisy is imposable.
Government:
"There are times when only the government can act quickly enough"
Yes, and in cases of emergencies and defending our boarders, and what not, this is why the government is there... not to tell me how fast to drive or whether or not I can use salt. The idea that i can not vote for laws is upsetting enough to me, but the idea that there are those who pass laws meant to "protect me from my self" upsets me even more. This is where the libertarian within me shines through. This has nothing to do with corporate profit... and all to do with the government keeping out of my, and Wal-Mart’s, and everyone else's hair. To quote Penn Gillette: every time someone says there "autt'a be a law" there generally "autt'ent."
The constitution does not list a "right to not eat things that in large quantities could be considered bad for you" anywhere.
Drugs:
As far as drugs go, Damn... If you would have asked me this question on 2/17/05 you would have gotten a slightly different answer, but all I can do is point out myself being a hypocrite. Its interesting how most who want drugs to be legal also want trans fats to be illegal and vice versa... but I will say this: I don't know of any violent crime or murders being associated with Trans Fats use.
This whole smoking ban crap thing really gets to me also. how can the same people who are arguing for 'freedom of choice' or who themselves (statically) use more drugs, whine about not wanting to smell smoke? also, if you are going to ban it... then BAN it. make it illegal to buy or sell tobacco products. none of this partial crap.
"If a substance that is being put INTO our food (let’s call it Soilent Green) is found to be detrimental to our health (and health care system expenditures) it ought to be the province of government to step in and say “no.”"
Almost any substance you eat, whether it be trans fats, or fluoride in the water, is not harmful until you ingest it in excess. you can kill yourself by drinking too much water, too much Budweiser, or too much Trans Fats. But the fact that there are Americans around who get to be in their 90s eating trans fats. there are a lot of things that are harmful to people. What do you think about cooks/companies using trans fats that occur in foods naturally?
This will be a jumbled mess. I've got a handful of beers in me and, well, that's pretty much all I've got for an excuse.
To start with the original thread, Trans-Fats. To say that no murders have been committed by someone on TFs is legally and technically correct BUT when you consider that the number one killer in America is heart disease AND, TFs have been proven to be a major contributor to heart disease, well, I believe that there is enough reason to start to look suspiciously toward the nasties put into our food. I do believe that the second amendment is valid but that it does not state the right to bear manufactured, harmful food preparation additives.
As for drugs, I tried to categorize (rationalize?) in a way that society could live with. There have been very few, if any, instances where marijuana use has led to anything more than stupidification and immobility. Cocaine, while a stiff stimulant, has likewise also not been seen as overly harmful outside the of to user. So, for me to say they should be illegal would be completely hypocritical since I likes me some beer (liver disease, DUI, etc) and some martini and some Scotch and, well, you get the idea. (BTW: What happened on 2/17/05?)
Smoking bans. Hmmm.. I’ve got HUGE mixed feelings. I do like the “not having to hang my clothes outside when I come home from a bar” thing that we now have in St. Paul. And it is the province of the elected officials to act in the public’s interest (and if the public doesn’t like it, there is always the next election to boot the bastards out). But, the rule always was, go in to a bar, leave smelling like smoke. I think that is still a valid rule. When Dave Thune (jackass) ran the smoking ban up the flag pole, and he was my council-dork, I emailed him weekly to try to get him to reconsider (as the long-time smoker he was - is? - I thought it was very hypocritical that he was the driver on this bandwagon. If he’s too weak to quit, f**k him, don’t take it out on everyone else). All that said; we do understand that cigarette smoke has health concerns. And some of those can be serious. But this is not a product that is put into the mainstream food supply. It is illegal to sell to minors. TFs were in hundreds of products, available everywhere, to anyone. And the health concerns went unrecognized until recently (did the marketplace recognize this and begin with labeling? Yes. But some of that was due to impending legal troubles).
Anyway, difference between TFs and smoke/tobacco. You could easily avoid smoke by not going into a bar (or a burning house). But TFs were everywhere and were not labeled as being dangerous. The public was unaware of what they were ingesting. Is a ban necessary? Probably not. But, it does raise awareness. And that, over all, is a good thing. Let’s face it, most of us are too busy (complacent?) to read labels, check dietary recommendations and keep up with the latest “health news.”
(Last note on tobacco: I agree completely. Either ban it or don’t. Don’t half-ass us on it.)
To answer your last question, nobody intentionally uses natural TFs. They are a naturally occurring part of some food stuffs. If it is naturally occurring, it is fine (and experts mostly agree). We all (should) know about moderation when it comes to red meat and dairy and, well, everything. Some of us will ignore that advice and push on to 400 lbs. Some will ignore that advice and live to be 100 with no health problems. There is no one-size-fits-all. But, we are beginning to understand, there are artificial additives put into our food that should not be there. Trans-Fats are such an additive (as is high fructose corn sweetener).
My whole point is, artificial TFs are in no way good for you. They are, in essence, poison and, as as a previous poster pointed out, one molecule shy of plastic (your response that mice and men share 90% of chromosomes is apples and oranges. That would only be a valid argument if you were advocating that we should be reproducing with mice). Your body cannot process artificial TFs like it can saturated fats - or any of the other natural, nasty foodstuffs. And when man begins to meddle with food, instead of trusting nature, well we can expect somebody’s politics to be more important than the greater good.
To your government regulating your driving speed point; if you want to drive fast, you should be able to train and be licensed to be a qualified fast driver. Problem is, there are too many dipshits in the way. And, as much as I’d rather see every idiot out of their car and forced on to public transit, that would qualify as too much government intervention. Thus, traffic and speed laws are mandatory if for no other reason than to save my own ass when one of these jag-offs wanders into my lane at 20 mph slower than my speed.
End of babble...
This will be a jumbled mess. I've got a handful of beers in me and, well, that's pretty much all I've got for an excuse.
To start with the original thread, Trans-Fats. To say that no murders have been committed by someone on TFs is legally and technically correct BUT when you consider that the number one killer in America is heart disease AND, TFs have been proven to be a major contributor to heart disease, well, I believe that there is enough reason to start to look suspiciously toward the nasties put into our food. I do believe that the second amendment is valid but that it does not state the right to bear manufactured, harmful food preparation additives.
As for drugs, I tried to categorize (rationalize?) in a way that society could live with. There have been very few, if any, instances where marijuana use has led to anything more than stupidification and immobility. Cocaine, while a stiff stimulant, has likewise also not been seen as overly harmful outside the of to user. So, for me to say they should be illegal would be completely hypocritical since I likes me some beer (liver disease, DUI, etc) and some martini and some Scotch and, well, you get the idea. (BTW: What happened on 2/17/05?)
Smoking bans. Hmmm.. I’ve got HUGE mixed feelings. I do like the “not having to hang my clothes outside when I come home from a bar” thing that we now have in St. Paul. And it is the province of the elected officials to act in the public’s interest (and if the public doesn’t like it, there is always the next election to boot the bastards out). But, the rule always was, go in to a bar, leave smelling like smoke. I think that is still a valid rule. When Dave Thune (jackass) ran the smoking ban up the flag pole, and he was my council-dork, I emailed him weekly to try to get him to reconsider (as the long-time smoker he was - is? - I thought it was very hypocritical that he was the driver on this bandwagon. If he’s too weak to quit, f**k him, don’t take it out on everyone else). All that said; we do understand that cigarette smoke has health concerns. And some of those can be serious. But this is not a product that is put into the mainstream food supply. It is illegal to sell to minors. TFs were in hundreds of products, available everywhere, to anyone. And the health concerns went unrecognized until recently (did the marketplace recognize this and begin with labeling? Yes. But some of that was due to impending legal troubles).
Anyway, difference between TFs and smoke/tobacco. You could easily avoid smoke by not going into a bar (or a burning house). But TFs were everywhere and were not labeled as being dangerous. The public was unaware of what they were ingesting. Is a ban necessary? Probably not. But, it does raise awareness. And that, over all, is a good thing. Let’s face it, most of us are too busy (complacent?) to read labels, check dietary recommendations and keep up with the latest “health news.”
(Last note on tobacco: I agree completely. Either ban it or don’t. Don’t half-ass us on it.)
To answer your last question, nobody intentionally uses natural TFs. They are a naturally occurring part of some food stuffs. If it is naturally occurring, it is fine (and experts mostly agree). We all (should) know about moderation when it comes to red meat and dairy and, well, everything. Some of us will ignore that advice and push on to 400 lbs. Some will ignore that advice and live to be 100 with no health problems. There is no one-size-fits-all. But, we are beginning to understand, there are artificial additives put into our food that should not be there. Trans-Fats are such an additive (as is high fructose corn sweetener).
My whole point is, artificial TFs are in no way good for you. They are, in essence, poison and, as as a previous poster pointed out, one molecule shy of plastic (your response that mice and men share 90% of chromosomes is apples and oranges. That would only be a valid argument if you were advocating that we should be reproducing with mice). Your body cannot process artificial TFs like it can saturated fats - or any of the other natural, nasty foodstuffs. And when man begins to meddle with food, instead of trusting nature, well we can expect somebody’s politics to be more important than the greater good.
To your government regulating your driving speed point; if you want to drive fast, you should be able to train and be licensed to be a qualified fast driver. Problem is, there are too many dipshits in the way. And, as much as I’d rather see every idiot out of their car and forced on to public transit, that would qualify as too much government intervention. Thus, traffic and speed laws are mandatory if for no other reason than to save my own ass when one of these jag-offs wanders into my lane at 20 mph slower than my speed.
End of babble...
This will be a jumbled mess. I've got a handful of beers in me and, well, that's pretty much all I've got for an excuse.
To start with the original thread, Trans-Fats. To say that no murders have been committed by someone on TFs is legally and technically correct BUT when you consider that the number one killer in America is heart disease AND, TFs have been proven to be a major contributor to heart disease, well, I believe that there is enough reason to start to look suspiciously toward the nasties put into our food. I do believe that the second amendment is valid but that it does not state the right to bear manufactured, harmful food preparation additives.
As for drugs, I tried to categorize (rationalize?) in a way that society could live with. There have been very few, if any, instances where marijuana use has led to anything more than stupidification and immobility. Cocaine, while a stiff stimulant, has likewise also not been seen as overly harmful outside the of to user. So, for me to say they should be illegal would be completely hypocritical since I likes me some beer (liver disease, DUI, etc) and some martini and some Scotch and, well, you get the idea. (BTW: What happened on 2/17/05?)
Smoking bans. Hmmm.. I’ve got HUGE mixed feelings. I do like the “not having to hang my clothes outside when I come home from a bar” thing that we now have in St. Paul. And it is the province of the elected officials to act in the public’s interest (and if the public doesn’t like it, there is always the next election to boot the bastards out). But, the rule always was, go in to a bar, leave smelling like smoke. I think that is still a valid rule. When Dave Thune (jackass) ran the smoking ban up the flag pole, and he was my council-dork, I emailed him weekly to try to get him to reconsider (as the long-time smoker he was - is? - I thought it was very hypocritical that he was the driver on this bandwagon. If he’s too weak to quit, f**k him, don’t take it out on everyone else). All that said; we do understand that cigarette smoke has health concerns. And some of those can be serious. But this is not a product that is put into the mainstream food supply. It is illegal to sell to minors. TFs were in hundreds of products, available everywhere, to anyone. And the health concerns went unrecognized until recently (did the marketplace recognize this and begin with labeling? Yes. But some of that was due to impending legal troubles).
Anyway, difference between TFs and smoke/tobacco. You could easily avoid smoke by not going into a bar (or a burning house). But TFs were everywhere and were not labeled as being dangerous. The public was unaware of what they were ingesting. Is a ban necessary? Probably not. But, it does raise awareness. And that, over all, is a good thing. Let’s face it, most of us are too busy (complacent?) to read labels, check dietary recommendations and keep up with the latest “health news.”
(Last note on tobacco: I agree completely. Either ban it or don’t. Don’t half-ass us on it.)
To answer your last question, nobody intentionally uses natural TFs. They are a naturally occurring part of some food stuffs. If it is naturally occurring, it is fine (and experts mostly agree). We all (should) know about moderation when it comes to red meat and dairy and, well, everything. Some of us will ignore that advice and push on to 400 lbs. Some will ignore that advice and live to be 100 with no health problems. There is no one-size-fits-all. But, we are beginning to understand, there are artificial additives put into our food that should not be there. Trans-Fats are such an additive (as is high fructose corn sweetener).
My whole point is, artificial TFs are in no way good for you. They are, in essence, poison and, as as a previous poster pointed out, one molecule shy of plastic (your response that mice and men share 90% of chromosomes is apples and oranges. That would only be a valid argument if you were advocating that we should be reproducing with mice). Your body cannot process artificial TFs like it can saturated fats - or any of the other natural, nasty foodstuffs. And when man begins to meddle with food, instead of trusting nature, well we can expect somebody’s politics to be more important than the greater good.
To your government regulating your driving speed point; if you want to drive fast, you should be able to train and be licensed to be a qualified fast driver. Problem is, there are too many dipshits in the way. And, as much as I’d rather see every idiot out of their car and forced on to public transit, that would qualify as too much government intervention. Thus, traffic and speed laws are mandatory if for no other reason than to save my own ass when one of these jag-offs wanders into my lane at 20 mph slower than my speed.
End of babble...
Farging blogger. Didn't tell me that I've already submitted my post. Where's that bottle opener...
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